U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Rules, International-Inland require sea vessels to display navigational lights between sunset and sunrise and during other periods of reduced visibility, such as fog, rain, and haze. For many types of vessels, such as recreational power-driven and sailing vessels, Coast Guard regulations require a red and green light at the bow of the vessel, and a white light either at the stern of the vessel or otherwise positioned aft of the red and green light. The red light should illuminate port side of the vessel, the green light starboard, and the white light should be positioned at a certain height and illuminate 360 degrees.
For many boats, these navigational lights are installed and hard-wired during manufacture of the boats. Some boats do not have any lights installed on them at all, such as small boats, dinghies, and rafts. Even for boats having hard-wired navigational lights, such lights are subject to electrical failure and physical damage.
Fulton Industries, Inc. of Wauseon, Ohio, U.S.A., proposes a solution to these potential problems by means of battery-powered red, green, and white marine light cartridges. The cartridges resemble flash lights and come with suction cups or clamps for mounting the lights at appropriate locations on a boat.
The present invention is a simpler, potentially less expensive alternative to the navigational lights provided by Fulton Industries, Inc.